MIT researchers develop a mathematical model to predict a knot’s stability with the help of color-changing fibers. Photo by Joseph Sandt Knots are some of the oldest and most-used technologies that ...

Scientists are studying how some knots perform better than others, like this figure-eight knot tied using a special fiber that changes color under strain. Regions of high strain (green, yellow) can be ...

The bow often used for shoelaces is essentially a double knot, but using folded loops rather than straight ends for the second knot. Double knots come in two kinds: the reef knot and the granny. A ...